Karate Kid: Legends - Legacy Sequel Slop?

I feel I should preface this review with a disclaimer. I'm very aware that I will be much more favourable and forgiving with this movie than I have with possibly any other I've reviewed. I'm able to admit I have a lot of bias here. I grew up watching DVDs of the Karate Kid movies, loving both the 80s LaRusso version and the 2010 Jaden Smith iteration. These movies meant so much to me, even going as far as shaping a lot of my young life. So, forgive me when I push aside this movies flaws because there was no way I wasn't going to enjoy this.

My biggest issue with this movie is more with the marketing than anything. It is very heavy on showcasing Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio together rather than the very talented star, Ben Wang. Of course I'm aware they have to sell the movie somehow, I just wish those two were slightly less of a focus, more just being present - noticeable but not detracting the spotlight completely from the main character.

First, the story. I thought the first act was a really interesting flip on the usual Karate Kid story. This one had the child as the sensei, teaching the adult in need. However, one thing I really didn't like was that - once given Li's call to action - they were almost tossed aside. There was some really interesting ideas explored with the family dynamic between Victor and Mia, especially Mia's opinions on her father fighting, which just weren't given the time of day. 

Speaking of, Mia's character felt quite two dimensional throughout the movie. She was simply used as Li's love interest and nothing more. There was a few hints sprinkled into the first act that fighting tore her family apart, however none of those ideas were explored in the slightest. Even after she explicitly expressed her feelings with Li teaching Victor to fight, the very next scene showed her in full support. It's almost like the writers forgot what was going on in the scene before - which, by the way, could've been extremely impactful if felt throughout the rest of the film.

A lot of this movie feels like it was written by the people behind Cobra Kai, especially the dynamic between Han and LaRusso as they were somewhat turned into cartoon characters with - for lack of a better word - cringey dialogue. While this is detrimental to my enjoyment of a few scenes, I can look past the majority of it as this is simply a fun popcorn movie and it wasn't made to be anything more. What do I mean when I call this a 'popcorn movie'? Well, this is a movie that you can just sit down and enjoy without having to pay too much attention. You can eat your popcorn, watch the cool fights, and you'll have a great time. However, if you're scrutinising this movie - like I am right now - and you don't have any strong personal biases - unlike me - you may not find this quite as amusing.

On the subject of the fighting, of course why we all show up to the cinema in the first place. I thought the choreography and stunts were spectacular. I love when characters fight in some sort of style that expresses a part of their personality and these movies always nail that. The third act was so fun to watch, helped in part by the little graphics - reminiscent of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. However, it seemed like they didn't even make an attempt at making it realistic in the slightest. Yes, it was cool to watch, however I think there should've been much more of a balance with realism.

To conclude, this movie had its fair share of flaws, however they're easy to look past if you just sit back and let yourself enjoy the ride. That may not sound like a glowing review, so let me put it this way: when you walk into that cinema, teleport back to your early childhood. Imagine sitting on the floor, staring up at your TV screen in awe as you admire Daniel LaRusso's skill and aspire to become him. Imagine how excited and full of glee you felt when he first successfully used the crane kick and finally defeated Johnny. Imagine your eight year old self watching this movie and how amazed they would be by the incredible fight sequences. This may not be the greatest addition to this franchise, but your younger self would've thought so.